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Mindelo Cruises, Cape Verde

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Mindelo’s streets constantly ring with the sound of traditional morna music. And the city gets even livelier at certain times of the year, when Rio-esque carnivals parade through its cobblestoned streets. These characteristics have helped cement cosmopolitan Mindelo as the cultural capital of the Cape Verde Islands. Looks-wise, the city has endured a bit of a time-warp. And the results are lovely, colonial buildings, coloured in pastel yellow, pink and blue.

• Tee off on the Cape Verde Islands’ only golf course. It’s a modest nine-holer, but what sets it apart is the lack of grass – here, you drive across baked mud rather than smooth fairways.
• People’s Palace is a great example of Mindelo’s colonial architecture. Its style mimics similarly-aged grand buildings in India, with a pale-pink exterior and a façade of columns.
• Being a harbour town, seafood is big business here. Visit the bustling fish market, where vendors trade their net-fresh hauls. It’s just past the picturesque Torre de Bélem, a fortress-like tower modelled on a similar building in Lisbon.

Map of Mindelo

SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions

Island Drive

This two-hour coach tour showcases Mindelo’s best bits. You’ll start by motoring along the waterside Rua de Praia. The route takes you past the Diogo Alfonso Monument, a tribute to the Portuguese seafarer who first discovered this archipelago back in 1482, and the Belem Tower, a fortress-like replica of a 15th-century tower in Lisbon. You’ll continue on through the lively African, vegetable and fish markets – listen out for the locals speaking Criulo, the island’s patois. Our final stop is Mindelo’s number-one beach, Baia das Gatas. It’s a sweep of white sand backed by dramatic mountains – we’ll stop here for a bit to stretch our legs and sip tasters of local island liqueur.

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Walking Tour of Mindelo

You’ll get a close-up of Mindelo’s highlights on this guided walking tour of the city. We’ll start by strolling along the bayside road, passing the Diogo Alfonso Monument – a tribute to the captain who first discovered the archipelago – and the fortress-like Belem Tower. Next up, we’ll explore the fish, vegetable and African markets, where you can browse the stalls and listen to the locals chatting in Criulo, the island’s patois. We’ll make our way to the historic district, home to the Town Hall and the Portuguese-style Nossa Senhora de Luz Catholic Church. From here, we’ll board a coach for the next part of the tour – a drive up to the 2,379-foot-high Monte Verde. It’s one of the few green areas on the island – the rest of the landscape is dry and volcanic. We’ll have time at the top to take in the views, and your guide can fill you in on the area’s history. Make sure you’ve got your camera handy for the ride back, as we’ll have a few photos ops – including Baia das Gatas, Mindelo’s premier beach.

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Mindelo City & Cultural Centre

You’ll twin a city tour with a spot of culture on this trip. Kick off with a scenic drive around Mindelo, a city that’s sandwiched between two extinct volcanoes and a natural harbour. Keep your camera to hand as we tick off sights like the town hall, the Belem Tower and the lively markets. We’ll also travel past the Diogo Alfonso statue, the Monument of the Hawk, and Praja De Cachorro, which used to be the coal warehouse district, but is now home to a pretty garden square. Next up, it’s time to hit the beach. We’ll head to Mindelo’s most popular sandy spot – Baia das Gatas. Have a swim in the lagoon, or sit on the sand with a complimentary glass of Portuguese or French wine while listening to the sultry sounds of morna, traditional Cape Verdean folk music. Just next to the beach is the local museum, which showcases the island’s culture. Have a wander around and peek at handicrafts like pottery and batiks. Our final stop for the day is the quaint fishing village of Salamansa, which we’ll get to via a walk through the sand dunes.

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